Split Personalities
by Batman Lamp-Writer
Summary: Slight AU! for Persona 3 and 4, major AU for DP. "Shun Yamada" was a shy new student, like any normal transfer. But the moment he caught Arisato Minato's attention, his whole life changed.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Um, yeah, I've been working on this for a few weeks now, and it's obviously rocketed away from me. I'm ninety-some pages in, and that's technically the prequel. Anywayz, enjoy this, the very first Persona 3/4/Danny Phantom crossover! I win!

Warning—contains a bisexual polygamist!Minato. There will be mentions of boyxboy, but nothing more than kissing. Vague mentions of reaching level ten, for those of you who have played the game. ;P

Hey, so I added a few scenes. I'm actually going through this story to add some stuff in and fill some plot holes, so please read this again! It makes more sense now, and explains some of the Persona stuff, for those who've never played/heard of it!

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"Did you hear? There's a new first-year transfer student!"

Minato Arisato, while surprised at how excited the school could get over one person (let along someone they didn't even _know_), was glad to hear that everyone had moved on from talking about the non-existent relationship between himself and one Yukari Takeba. Don't get him wrong, he was _definitely_ attracted to her, but the rumors pretty much killed any shot he had at getting near her. At least, for a while.

Besides, there were at least a hundred other datable teens in the school. Minato really wasn't that picky. And there was always this new kid. Apparently, the guy already had a small following of fans—both fangirls _and_ fanboys.

Minato smirked at that thought, imagining how the boy would react, especially to the fanboys. Then, depending on the reaction (and the truth behind the rumors of him being almost feminine in beauty), Minato could—and _would_—make his own move.

Yes, depending on the teen, Yukari could wait.

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He was lost. He could admit that. This school was _much_ bigger than any of the previous ones he'd been to, and a lot more confusing.

And it didn't help that there was a mob constantly following him.

"Where the hell is 1-D?" he grumbled, annoyed.

Immediately, everyone was shouting out directions that he couldn't understand. He flailed, trying to pick out correct instructions when a hand reached in and pulled him out of the mob.

Blue eyes blinked at the teen before him, who was effectively shooing away the mob that had formed. Many annoyed girls—and a few pissed guys—left under the gray glare of the newcomer.

Then, those eyes flicked to him. "_Gomen_," the newcomer said, midnight blue hair shading his eyes, "they're excited about a new transfer student. After all, the rumors about me and Takeba-san have died down." He extended a hand. "I'm Arisato Minato, a second year."

He took the hand. "Dan—er, Shun Yamada. First year."

Minato smirked. "You started saying something else. _Nani?_"

He blushed. "D—Danny Fenton. I—I'm half-Japanese, so I have a Japanese name and an American name."

The smirk changed to a grin. "That's pretty cool. So you're going by Shun Yamada here?"

He nodded. "_Hai_."

"So you're Shun-kouhai to me."

"Um_, _yeah, Arisato-senpai." He blushed when he realized how close Minato's face was to his own.

"Then I reserve the right to call you Danny-chan when we hang out."

The younger teen blinked. He heard—and knew—that tone. There was no 'if' in that statement. Minato fully intended to stay around the new(er) teen. The blush deepened. "Ah—um_—_but_—_Arisato-senpai—"

"And you call me Minato-kun. Deal, Danny-chan?" The older boy grinned as though he'd already heard the answer he wished to hear.

"U_—_Um, …mm, _hai_, deal."

And just like that, the boy's life flipped upside-down.

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

The teen almost jumped at the sound. "W—Wh—What was _that?_"

"What?"

"I j—just heard a v—voice in my h—h—head!"

"Oh, that? Heh, you must be a Wild Card, too." Minato grinned at the younger student.

The younger gave Minato a blank stare.

Minato blinked. "Wait, you—you don't know what a Wild Card is, do you?"

"Uhhh… no, why?" The teen almost sounded nervous.

"Okay…. Do you know what Personae are?"

The teen's nervous look grew. "…_iie_…."

The elder sighed. "Oh, boy…. This is gonna be a _long_ day…."

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"S—So, could you start over, please?" the younger teen said.

"Sure, now… where to begin…? Well, first off, there's Social Links. They're relationships you form with different people. Each person has his or her own arcane, which is based on their personality. A Persona is a manifestation of that individual's aura. Since you heard the voice, that means you're a Wild Card. That allows you to control multiple Personae. Any questions?"

The teen looked thunderstruck. "U—Uhhh…."

"O…kay…. Well, as your Social Links strengthen, so will your Personae of that arcane. Oh, and when you max out a Social Link, well, the person gives you a gift and you spend a few hours alone together." Minato smirked at the teen, whom, nervous, backed away a couple steps.

Minato chuckled.

"W—What's so f—funny?"

"Nothing." The blue-haired teen shook his head. "You're just one of the most shy, most innocent people I've ever seen…."

"Uhhh… _a—arigatou_… I think…."

"Don't mention it."

GONG

The teen blinked, startled. "Wh—What the—?"

"Hold that thought," Minato stated. He stood, glancing back at the teen. "Stay here. You may be a Wild Card, but with your ignorance you'll be _way_ more harm than good."

Minato didn't even wait for a response before rushing out the door, slamming it shut on his way out.

The teen scratched his head. Minato's actions confused him. First, he said that it was normal to hear voices, then he demanded to be taken to the younger's house to explain. Now, he'd run off to use his 'Persona', whatever _that_ was.

The teen sighed, heading back towards his bed. He flopped down onto it, suddenly very tired and just wanting to sleep.

He'd only just closed his eyes when he heard a loud crunching sound. Confused, he opened his eyes—

And let out a loud scream when he saw a black mass of hands, weapons, and a mask coming straight at him after having pulled the roof and a wall off the teen's small apartment/house.

The boy backed up, ending up trapped against a wall. He looked to either side of himself, trying to find a weapon he could use. He reached for a lamp on the side table by his bed, but pulled his hand back when the black monster slashed at it. Blue eyes shut tightly in fear as the thing crept closer.

"_Ohhh, no you don't!_" a new voice yelled. A white-haired young man came running in, throwing his fist into the monster.

"W—What the—?"

The new arrival glanced over his shoulder at the boy, continuing to fight off the thing. "Don't worry, kid, I got this one!" he yelled as he effectively shredded the monster with a barrage of attacks.

The teen was in a total brain lock. "Is it _possible_ to hurt that thing?"

He was answered between attacks. "Yeah… sure…. You just gotta… know… _how_ to… hit it!"

"Uhhh… I'll take your word for it."

"Don't sweat it. …I've fought… these guys… for a while now, so… just let me… deal with this… one solo."

The boy felt his eyelids grow heavy. "Heh… he's _all_ yours…."

"Like I said, don't—"

FWUNK

Another punch dropped the shadow as Akihiko Sanada spun around to see the teen collapsed on his bed. "Huh… guess he couldn't handle seeing one of these guys close-up. Can't say I blame him…." Akihiko sighed, then reached for the teen. "Guess I'd better get him to the Dorm…."

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"What the _hell_ were you _thinking_, Akihiko-senpai?" a girl's voice yelled.

The semi-conscious teen didn't move, wishing he could fall back into Morpheus' realm.

"Hey, what was I _supposed_ to do, huh? Let the shadow _take_ him?" He recognized the white-haired man's voice.

"Of course not! You just _didn't_ have to bring him _here!_"

"Let's _try_ to calm down, here," a second female voice declared. "I'm not too keen on having anyone new in the fight, either, but it doesn't appear that we have a choice…."

"That's what I'm trying to say. I'm as suspicious as the next guy, but he's _obviously_ got some potential. Why alienate someone who could help us later?"

"Yeah, he's green, sure, but who wasn't at one point?" Ah, that voice was Minato's. "I mean, just a month ago, I was, too."

The teen was confused by the conversation. He knew he wasn't in his house any more. His mind went into a state of panic. If he wasn't at home… what if _they_ had finally found him? But… Minato was there, too….

The first girl huffed, probably crossing her arms. "That stupid shadow should've been more quiet…."

The teen tensed slightly, going unnoticed by the arguing group above him. So, at least one of them _did_ want him dead….

Minato blinked; the teen could sense it. "…You're not serious, right?"

"What if I am?" the girl continued. "I doubt he's a Wild Card if he doesn't even know what a Persona is!"

Then the teen's rescuer spoke up. "How do you explain his being awake during the Dark Hour?"

"I dunno. Maybe he was part of some weird experiment trying to let people survive the Dark hour. Maybe he _is_ a user, but I _seriously_ doubt he can use more than one!"

"Okay, so he's a bit late in coming into his power," Minato stated. "So what? At least he's going to live long enough to find out _some_ of his potential!"

The teen bolted upright. "_Huh?_" he yelped. Had Minato _really_ just said that? But… But he'd been so _nice_ before…. Was it all just a lie? Just a façade to get him comfortable so _they_ could take him? Wad Minato… _really_ one of _them?_

"Well, well, well! Look who's awake!" Minato grinned, grabbing onto the teen's arm.

"Let me _go_, you freaks!" The teen squirmed, writhing as more of Minato's group reached for him.

"Whoa there, Yamada-kouhai! Calm down!"

"Calm down?" His voice was ratcheting up in pitch and volume. "_Calm down?_"

"Yeah, wh—?"

"You've brought me to _them_, that's _why!_"

"…You know who we are?" the brown-haired girl in the corner said. She was the first voice the teen had heard.

"Oh, come _on!_ Don't play dumb with me!"

"Yamada-kouh—"

"_Don't_ get all friendly with _me_, Minato-senpai! You were just playing nice to introduce me to your… your _friends!_"

"Well… kinda, but—"

"Finally, some admittance!"

"Admittance of _what,_ Shun-kouhai?"

"Don't think I'm not onto you jerks!"

"Shun-kouhai, calm do—"

"I will _not_ calm dow—!"

Everyone stared in shock as the teen dropped to the floor, unconscious.

"Shun-kouhai? _Yamada-kun?_"

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'_Finally, I have your attention!'_

"…huh?" the teen murmured, blinking up at the… floating person above him.

'_Oh, __**please!**__'_ the thing huffed, hands on hips. It was white-haired and green-eyed, clad in a black and white outfit with a silvery DP symbol. _'Don't tell me you didn't notice that little twitch in the back of your neck before you conked out in front of that white-haired guy!'_

"Well… yeah, but—"

'_Bingo! That was __**me**__, smarty pants.'_

"Then, who—?"

'_I'm your __**Persona**__. At least, your first. Pretty soon, there'll be a bunch of us in here.'_

"You're my—? W—Why do you look kinda like me?"

'_Your Personae are facets of your soul. I'm what you hope to be. Someone strong, heroic, who will do anything to protect my loved ones.'_

"Not that I have any…." the teen mumbled.

His Persona pursed his lips and huffed. _'And that attitude is part of why you __**have**__ other Personae. While I'm what you __**want**__ to be, you'll also end up with the Personae of what you were, your feelings, and what you hope never to become. Among others, of course.'_

"…w—what I—? N—No. _No_, I am _not_ going to have any Personae that are—are—"

'_Evil? They're really not. They're just to represent that side of you. I'm sure Minato's Personae aren't __**all**__ unicorns and butterflies. In fact, I'm sure he has __**more**__ "evil" Personae than you.'_

"S—So… what exactly do I call you?"

The Persona smirked. _'I'm Phantom. And so our journey together begins….'_

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The teen blinked up at the blurry objects above him. A few more blinks, and his vision cleared enough to recognize the blue-haired teen.

"Mina…kun?" he mumbled.

Minato smirked. "Mina-kun am I now?"

The younger blushed, trying to stutter out an apology.

"It's fine, Dai-chan. I don't mind the nickname. I take it you're feeling better?"

"Um, y—yeah. I, um, I met Phantom… er, my Persona."

Minato's eyebrows jumped up. "Oh?"

"H—How do I, um, summon him?"

Minato bit his lip, backing up some.

"Mina—?"

The older teen pulled out a small silver gun, holding it out to the first-year. "Y—You use this. To shoot yourself… in the head…."

The raven-haired boy took the gun and put it against his forehead, finger hooking around the trigger.

"Ah, wait—!"

The gun clicked, but nothing happened. The younger blinked in surprise at the gun. "Why…?"

"You're mentally exhausted. You won't be able to summon until you rest up some. And given all that happened today, I'd say you need to rest for a while."

A yawn. The younger stretched. "Okay. I'll show you later, then…." He lay back down.

Minato chuckled. "I'll hold you to that, Dai-chan."

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A/N: So have fun reading this. I added in a few scenes here to make the story flow better, and to fill in some plot holes. I'll try to figure out what's up with the actual, strictly-DP part of this story. And yes, this will go into Persona 4 as well. I'm just changing the year it takes place, so it's right after P3. Read and Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Avoiding studying for my bio final, yay! -.-' Imma fail it anywayz. Enjoys.

Also-I know this goes fairly quickly. My excuse-Danny/Yamada's character is _not_ helping in most of the missions due to an agreement between him and Minato. As such, he's only barely there for the missions, and that is what I'm describing. He gets a major part closer to the end of P3, and this story will also cover P4. There's about ten chapters of this, then the purely-DP sequel.

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"_C'mon_, Dai-chan, hurry up! I wanna see your persona!" an impatient Minato whined.

The younger teen rolled his eyes. "You just wanna find a secluded place, get me alone. I know your tricks, Mina-kun."

Minato smirked, an image the other was all too used to. "Well, as nice as getting you alone sounds, I _do _wanna see Phantom!"

"Only 'cause you heard me say that he looked like me."

"Isn't that enough of a reason? I'll get two of you at once!"

And once again, the teen had been trapped by his elder, this time against a tree. Red quickly spread across his face. "Minato…."

The older teen was still smirking, nuzzling closer. "Mmm, so _personal_ tonight, _ne?_"

"Not ever _near_ level ten, Mina-kun. Don't think it."

Minato sighed. "_Kuso_. Fine. So, show me Phantom!"

He nodded. "_Hai, _but I have no Evoker."

Minato nodded towards the gun at his waist. "Brought mine."

The younger of the two knew what the gesture meant. Sighing, he reached forward and grabbed the fake gun. Almost as quickly, he aimed the gun at his temple.

A hand came to rest on his before he could pull the trigger. Blue eyes glanced into gray through black bangs. "Wha—?"

"You're too trusting." Minato shook his head. "How do you know that's an Evoker and not a real gun?"

The smaller teen smirked. "You wanna jump me, not kill me."

"Maybe I was given that gun, told it was an Evoker, but didn't know?"

"Heh, like you always used to say, I _am_ an original suicide club member. You and I are the only ones who've never had a problem going through the motions of shooting ourselves."

"Yeah_, _but, I had reasoning. After all, I'd seen Yukari-san try, and Pharos flat out told me. You just…fired."

The boy grinned sadly. "There's still a lot you don't know about me, Mina-kun." He pulled the trigger.

BANG.

A third being hung in the air above them. Minato chuckled once, dryly. "Really _does_ look like you, _ne?_"

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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"Hey, Dai-chan."

The first-year blinked up at Minato. "_Hai?_"

"Well, that shadow kinda killed your house, _ne?_"

"Uh, yeah…?"

"So, since you've got nowhere else to go, why not stay here? I can help you move in, and there's an empty room on the first floor."

"Are—Are you sure it's okay if I—?"

"I already asked Mitsuru-senpai. She said it'd be okay."

"I—I guess I could, if it's really—"

"Great! C'mon, I'll help you get your stuff."

The younger's eyes went wide. "I—I'm moving in _now?_"

"Sure! After all, someone could take your stuff if it's left in that destroyed building. Let's go!"

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Minato had them work fast. The teen was moved in within an hour. He'd even unpacked. Now, the only problem was with the room itself.

"Ughhh," Minato groaned, covering his nose. "It smells _horrible_ in here!"

"It's fine." The teen easily recognized the faint coppery taste in the air.

"Well, we'll get some candles and air fresheners or something. And we'll fix the A/C, too, don't worry."

"Huh?"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you kinda cold in here?"

"Not really…."

"Yeah, apparently they used this room to store fresh meat before it became a dorm."

Ah, that explained the smell and temperature. That also meant that there'd be some knives around here….

"Well, I'll let you settle in. If you need anything, I'm the last room on the second floor. 'Night."

"Night…."

Minato left, and the teen stood staring at the drawers in the corner. He stumbled over, hastily and jerkily pulling open the drawers. The first three were empty.

But in the very back of the last drawer was a blade. It must have come dislodged from its handle when the room was first cleaned out. How lucky for him that no one had noticed.

He quickly pulled the blade out, staring down at it intently. He glanced about, making sure Minato hadn't come back for any reason. Then, he placed the blade over his wrist—

A knock on the door made him jump, hiding the blade under his mattress. "_H—Hai?_"

"Dai-chan? I was wondering if you needed another blanket?" Minato called from the other side of the door.

"_Iie_. I'm fine."

"…Okay. Good night."

"Night."

The teen waited to hear the footsteps disappear. Once he was sure Minato had left, he tugged the blade back out from under the mattress, replacing it against his wrist. He dragged it quickly across, reveling in the familiar bittersweet feeling of going back to his old habit. A quiet sigh escaped his lips as the trail of blood dribbled down his arm. He thought he'd gotten out of this habit. Apparently, he was just kidding himself.

The small Plip! of the first drop of his blood hitting the floor pulled him out of his thoughts. His eyes widened, and he covered the cut the best he could, panicking that they'd find out if he left a mess. He looked around for something to wrap his arm with, but came up with nothing. Now he regretted passing up Minato's offer of a blanket….

He cursed mentally, tossed a dark jacket over his arm, and headed towards Minato's room.

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Minato had been sleeping when he heard the knock on his door. His first thought was that it wasn't the Dark Hour or a full moon, so no one should be bothering him about shadows. Then, as he woke up a bit more, he remembered the first-year.

Yawning, he opened his door. "Mm, Dai-chan? What's wrong?"

"I—Is there a first aid kit somewhere?"

"Mmyeah. Why?"

"C—Could I use it, please?"

_That_ woke Minato up. "Why do you need it?"

"It's nothing," the teen answered way too quickly.

"Dai-chan…."

"I said it's _nothing_."

Minato noticed the jacket. "Then why are you covering your arm?"

"It's cold."

Warning bells blared in Minato's head at that. "Not in comparison to your room, and you couldn't tell it was cold in there. Show me your arm."

The teen held out an arm, keeping the other covered.

Minato's eyes narrowed. "The _other_ arm."

The teen's hands curled into fists. "_Just get me the stupid first-aid kit!_"

Minato reached forward, grabbing the younger teen's hand and pulling the jacket from his arm. What he saw caused him to gasp in shock. When he looked back at the teen, he noticed that the younger refused to make eye contact. "Dai-chan…. What happened?"

"I slipped."

"What _really_ happened? Did—Did _you —?_"

"_Yes_, alright? I did it myself, okay?" His eyes flicked away from Minato's again. "It's not like this is the first time or anything…."

Minato frowned. "You're staying with me."

"_N—Nani?_"

"You are staying in here with me. I'm gonna make sure you keep breathing."

"Fine, I'll stay the night—"

"_Iie_. Tomorrow, I'm bringing your stuff in here."

"Wha—_Why?_"

"_Because I don't want you doing this to yourself!_" Minato calmed himself, then motioned for the teen to go into his room. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up…."

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"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" Minato was nearly yelling.

The younger boy before him winced but said nothing.

"I even convinced them to let you stay in the dorms! Now you won't even _talk_ to me?"

The other glanced away.

"I made sure you wouldn't have to go into Tartarus until you were ready, and you repay my by locking yourself in our room all the time!" Minato shook the smaller boy. "_Why the hell are you ignoring me?_"

"_Because I saw you die!_"

Minato froze when he saw the tears streaking down his friend's face. He brushed them away gently. "Oh, Dai-chan…. Why didn't you say so sooner? I'm still here. I'm alive, see?" He kissed the boy's forehead. "I'm not going _anywhere_. Not without you. But, why'd you get so freaked out about it? You have no problem pulling a gun on yourself, and you've seen me Evoke _hundreds_ of times!"

"_Hai, _but you were _dead_. Mina-kun, something—something's not _right_ with what you and the others are doing. Ikutsuki-san…. I don't trust him. He…he makes me nervous. You shouldn't be destroying the full moon shadows."

Minato's brow furrowed. "You're not suggesting we _let_ those things turn everyone into the Lost!"

"I'm _suggesting_ that you keep your mind open to the possibility that Ikutsuki-san is _lying to you!_"

"So because of one _dream_, you're going to go against us when we fight the Major Arcana shadows."

"You trust Pharos, _ne?_ Phantom's the one who warned me. Something's _not right._"

"You're being paranoid."

"_You're_ being a _baka!_"

"Why should I believe you?" An angry Minato pulled the smaller teen up so they were nose to nose.

"You won't live to see the spring."

"_Na—?_"

"One of the S.E.E.S. members will be the reason another dies. A dog, a robot, a child, a shadow…. You'll befriend them all, but you won't notice the last until it's too late. A trio will stand against you, and someone you know will change one of the trio's ways."

"_N—Nani?_ What are you _talking_ about?"

"Nyx will destroy us all if you continue this path. But, what I say won't change your actions. You'll fight off all twelve and still be shocked at the outcome."

"What the _hell_ are you _talking about?_"

"Just forget it, Mina-kun. I don't plan on standing in your way, even though I _know_ you're wrong."

"Danny…."

Now the smaller boy smirked. "So personal, _ne?_"

Minato grinned as well. "Of course I'm personal with you."

The younger found himself blushing as the older pressed their lips together.

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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"Ah, hey, watch where you're—! Oh, um, Shun-kouhai," a very confused and annoyed Yukari Takeba stammered.

The teen before her slowly picked himself up off the floor. "Takeba-senpai," he murmured.

"W—What are you doing up here? Where's Minato-kun?"

The teen shook his head. "Nya, I don't know. He was gone when I woke up."

"When you…?" She looked puzzled, and he remembered that the others thought he was staying in a spare room on the first floor.

"I fell asleep while he was helping me study last night," he explained as a cover. "When I woke up, he wasn't there."

Yukari gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay, I know Minato-kun says you have the Potential, but you haven't tried helping us. Instead, you've been sitting around in the dorm while we traipse through Tartarus! Why do you refuse to help us?"

"Phantom's not strong enough yet. He's not ready to fight. All I can get from him are strange glimpses."

"Glimpses?"

"Stuff that hasn't happened yet, stuff that won't happen, stuff that already did…. Different people's points of view on things I went through. Memories I hate."

"W—What memories?"

He glared. "Nothing any of you will ever know about."

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He would've liked to say Minato came crawling back with apologies. He would've liked to say it was hard to stay mad at his senpai. Instead, it was surprisingly easy.

Minato never explained where he'd gone, and soon everyone stopped asking. Except the young teen.

"Arisato-senpai," he said one night when they truly were studying in Minato's room, "we need to talk."

"What happened to first-name basis?"

"You forewent that when you _ran off._"

Minato sighed. "Not _that_ again…."

"Where did you go? Why won't you tell anyone?"

"Because it's no one's business, least of all _yours!_"

"I've told you everything you asked me. I ask you one thing, you refuse to answer."

"You've never told me why you're suicidal."

The younger teen's surprised inhale was audible. "You never asked."

"I knew better than to ask, like you should now."

He sighed. "Okay, so I used to be suicidal. Now you know. _Tell me_."

Minato's eyes narrowed. "I've seen your arms and chest when you get changed. Half those cuts are _fresh_. You still _are_ suicidal."

He shrugged. "So? There's a difference between a release and a suicide attempt. If I wanted to suicide, you would know."

"_Yeah?_ How so?"

"I'd be bleeding out on the floor."

Minato blinked in surprise. "_N—Nani?_"

"As I said, I _used_ to be suicidal. I _know_ where to cut. It just happened that when I tried, someone kept finding me soon enough. Lucky, I guess you'd say."

"But, that doesn't explain why you started."

He glared. "That conversation's still a few levels away."

Minato nodded, sighed. "…I went to visit my parents' grave. I—I haven't seen them since the funeral, and I…decided it was time."

The young teen brought his teeth down gently on his bottom lip. "Be glad. You at least know where they were buried. You got to say goodbye." The teen left the room, the door shutting just before Minato heard him slide down to sit on the floor. Soft noises came from outside, and Minato was shocked when he realized the teen who always seemed so collected was crying.

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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A/N: Okay, I'm loving that these added scenes are making this story so much longer! See ya soon!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry it's been a while. I'm working hard on the sequel, and a lot of crazy has been happening irl. Here's your next chapter.

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Minato had noticed that his friend kept disappearing once a month. It always happened right after a full moon. Each time he vanished, the first-year would come back with a new earring.

Finally, Minato decided to ask about them.

"Dai-chan?"

"_Hai?_"

"What's with the earrings?"

The teen blushed. "W—Well, you guys said once that no one remembered what you all do for Iwatodai during the Dark Hour, so I got these." He removed the silver earrings, holding them out for Minato to see.

There was a hoop, three studs, and a small band. Each stud had its own specific shape, one being a train and the other two a cross and a broken heart. There was odd writing etched onto all five.

Minato glanced back at his friend. "What's the writing?"

"It's Russian."

"…For what?"

"The hoop's from the first full moon shadow."

"You weren't with us then." Minato's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I got it after the second. The writing on it says 'Beginning'. The train is 'Lucky guess'."

Minato rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I shouldn't have told anyone I didn't know what I was doing when I stopped the train…."

"Well, the cross is from the Emperor/Empress battle. It's 'What would you do for your friends?'"

"Right, because that was when Fuuka-chan joined us and helped Natsuki-san."

"The heart is from when you all fought off the Hermit and Lovers shadows."

Minato shuddered, wincing. "We all agreed _never_ to speak of _that_ again."

The first-year smirked. "That's why it says 'Don't ask, don't tell'."

"Of course…. And I'm guessing the band's for the Chariot and Justice battle?"

"_Hai_."

"And what's it say?"

"'Torn apart to grow'."

"Right, since they happened to be Gundam/Transformers wanna-be's."

"_Hai._"

"Heh, you're gonna end up with a lot of piercings, then."

"Only if the last four are single battles."

Minato chuckled. "Yeah, knowing our luck, we'll end up having to take on all four at once…."

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"Strega…." The teen shook his head. No, if they were at the mall, Minato would have told him. Yet….

Junpei was missing. Fuuka hadn't seen or sensed Strega's presence last time. He remembered all too well why. Phantom had told him.

_Fuuka kept him in contact with the others during their mission. When he heard their shock at seeing Strega, he questioned his own Persona._

_**The girl…she's the most dangerous….**_

_He had repeated it aloud to them. All he got in reply was, "What girl, Yamada-kouhai?"_

_He hadn't mentioned it again._

If he was right in assuming that Junpei had met the girl already, then Junpei was in major trouble. Fuuka was again his link to the others, and when he made the decision to leave to look for Junpei, Fuuka was quick to reprimand him.

'"_Yamada-kouhai, where are you going?"'_ she asked, panicking. _"'You know how dangerous it is outside during the Dark Hour!"'_

"_Gomen_, Yamagishi-senpai, but I think I know where Iori-senpai is. I'll be back later."

'"_Yamada-kun!"'_

"'_Shun-kouhai!"'_

He ran around the town. Listening only to Phantom's directions, he soon found himself circling back to the dorm. He practically flew up the stairs until he was on the roof.

Junpei was wriggling, trying to escape the ropes he was tied in. Meanwhile, a red-haired girl wearing a white Lolita dress glanced between Junpei and the door.

"You have come for your leader?" she murmured.

The young teen snorted. "Iori-senpai, our leader? You got some bad intel."

"Then, he is not what he said he was."

"Of course not. That was probably something he said just to get in your pants—er, skirt."

She seemed confused.

He sighed. "Anyway, if you want to capture our leader, you'll have a hard time of it. Too many people always around him. If you want to get at him, the best idea is to take someone he's close to."

"So I'll take him." She pointed at a disgruntled Junpei.

The youngest snorted again. "Iori-senpai is only around to beat things up. He's not _important_ enough that our leader would come running to save him, and he's barely even needed now that Aragaki-senpai is back."

"At least _I_ actually _help_ against the shadows, unlike _you!_" Junpei yelled, unknowingly helping the teen's plan.

He smirked. "Of course. Our leader won't _let_ me help. He's too worried about me getting hurt."

Junpei looked confused, but the girl seemed to get it. "Then the one I should take is you." She grabbed the smaller boy, who was vaguely annoyed to see that he was tinier than even this thin, short girl. Then, the girl called on her Persona, and the two disappeared.

Junpei was still in shock an hour later when the group came back to see what had happened.

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He knew their names now, not that that would probably help. The girl who had grabbed him was Chidori, their healer/guide. Her Persona could search out life.

The two guys were Takaya—a yellow-eyed, gray-haired, tattooed Jesus look-alike with a real gun—and Jin—a blue-haired, spectacled teen with a fondness for grenades. While Chidori didn't get angry at all, the two were easy to piss off.

"Tell us about that group!" Takaya demanded, aiming his revolver. He'd already threatened to shoot to wound for any wrong answer.

"There's ten of them," the teen answered dully. "A robot, a dog, a kid, and seven teens."

"We already _knew_ that!" A gunshot went off, and there was a brief moment of shock and pain in the boy's foot. Then Chidori was there making sure the wound wouldn't cause him to bleed out, but left the pain.

"I'm not even really part of the group. He won't let me be."

"That's not _helpful!_" Another gunshot, more pain, this time an ankle. Blood stopped, pain didn't.

"He always says he wants me to help, but he doesn't. He never tells me what he tells them. He treats me different. I hate him for it."

Now his shin was on fire. "Your kneecap goes next," Takaya said darkly.

"Then go ahead and shoot me," the teen growled back. "What's death but an inevitability? If not by your hand, then it'd likely come by my own, anyway."

The gun lowered as the three members of Strega blinked at him in shock.

"You…wish to die?"

"Used to. Now I don't care one way or the other."

"Pain—_this_ means nothing to you?" Takaya nodded at the gun wounds.

"Look at my arms and chest. You'll see just how _little_ pain affects me."

Takaya gave Jin the go-ahead, and the blue-haired teen lifted the sleeves and hem of the boy's shirt. Angry red marks were scattered all over the pale white skin.

Takaya and Jin were shocked. "Y—You're like us…. You have a Persona, you don't care about death…. You could help us bring out Nyx."

The teen chuckled. "Heh, I thought this was one of the 'won't happen' visions…."

"One of…?"

"I don't wish to bring about the death of the world. Just maybe my own."

And just like that, Takaya was mad again. "Why you…!" He lifted the gun and aimed, finger tightening—

Just as the door burst open and the S.E.E.S. team burst in. There was a gunshot and very vague pain, then Minato was dragging him away.

"M—Mina-k—kun…."

"Shhh, you're gonna be okay, Dai-chan. I'll make sure of it."

For once, the two didn't care that others had heard their nicknames for each other.

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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He had been left behind again. Admittedly, it made sense, what with his being on crutches after being kidnapped, shot at, and helping them bring in Chidori. But leaving him to find and watch Ken?

He sighed, half-asleep until he heard a door open and close. "Huuuhn?" he moaned, glancing around. "Ken-kun? …_Ken-kun?_" He cursed, grabbing at his crutches and rushing—limping—to the door. He hurried after the young boy, not knowing what would come from this night.

He didn't even notice the glowing green moon shining above him.

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"_Kuso_… where'd that brat run off to…?"

'"_Shun-kun?"'_ Fuuka's voice echoed to him. _'"What are you doing out again?"'_

"Don't kill me for this, please_, _but Ken-kun took off."

'"_He's probably headed over here, then. Ah, um, Shun-kun?"'_

"_Hai?_"

'"_Could you look for Shinjiro-senpai? He's not here, either…."'_

"…_Kuso_…." He took off again, changing direction.

'"_Shun-kun?"'_

"Is there some way I can speak with Minato-senpai?"

'"_Um,__** hai.**__"'_

'"_**Nani**__, Yamada-kouhai? We're kinda—"'_

"Shinjiro-senpai is in trouble."

'"_How so?"'_

"Ken-kun won't be coming."

'"_What's that supposed to __**mean**__, Yamada-kouhai?"'_

"I told you before, _ne?_ 'One of the S.E.E.S. members will be the reason another dies'."

'"_But, why would Shinjiro-senpai—?"'_

"_Iie!_ Don't you notice _anything?_ How Shinjiro-senpai leaves whenever Ken-kun is in the room? Or the way Ken-kun speaks about his _okaa-san's_ death? Or how Akihiko-senpai and Shinjiro-senpai act around Ken-kun, like they're afraid to break him?"

'"_So __**nani?**__"'_

"Ken-kun blames Shinjiro-senpai for his _okaa-san's _death!"

'"…_where will they be? We'll get over there as soon as we finish here."'_

"Behind Port Island Station, where Shinjiro-senpai saved you from those thugs."

'"_I had that situation under control!"'_

"Yeah_…._" He sounded disbelieving.

'"_Yamada…."'_

"I'm going to see what I can do to stop them. I probably won't be in contact for a while."

'"_Yamada-kun!"'_

"Don't worry about me, Mina-kun. Take out your shadows."

He could practically hear the older teen blink in shock. _'"I never said there were—"'_

"Exactly."

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He hadn't helped. If anything, his being there made things worse. Sure, he had talked Ken down, but then Takaya showed up, spouting all that revenge/end of the world crap, and Shinjiro jumped in front of the bullet meant for Ken. When Takaya re-aimed at the teen on crutches, Shinjiro pushed him out of the way to take that bullet, too.

Takaya disappeared just as everyone else showed up and Shinjiro collapsed. Ken was distraught, so everyone looked to the young teen for an explanation.

"Strega," he murmured. "Shinjiro-senpai saved us from Takaya. He—He's d—de—dea…."

It was suddenly hard to breathe. As he toppled over, Minato lunged forward, keeping him from hitting the ground.

"Al—Always," the teen murmured feverishly. "Alw—ways d—die, e—everyo—one a—aroun—round me. Sh—Shinjir—ro-senp—pai, m—my fa—family, Min—Mina-k—kun…."

Minato blinked as all eyes turned to him. He thought back, trying to remember what all else the teen he held had said would happen. "A…trio, _ne?_ That…that was Strega. And one of them will turn? But, who—?"

"Shadow…with a heart…. A…A choice…. He'll give…you a choice…."

Now they were all confused. "A shadow with a heart?" Yukari echoed. "What's that mean?"

"Who will turn Strega?" Minato demanded.

His younger friend stared blankly at him before turning his head towards Shinjiro. "The one…closest to them…."

"Closest…?" Mitsuru murmured. "Does that mean…more than one of us is close to them?"

"Three. A trio…for a trio." He closed his blue eyes. "I…told you this…would happen, M—Mina-k—" His head lolled to the side.

"Yamada-kun? Yamada! _Dai-chan!_"

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His eyes burst open. "_Nicht sie! Ich! Nehmen Sie mich!_"

Minato was at his side in a moment, shaking him in an attempt to fully waken him. "Danny, Dai-chan, you're safe now. Wake up!"

"_Nein, ich bin wach._" He blinked owlishly. "_Ich_ been awake, _ne?_"

"Nn, maybe, but not speaking any language I know. And I've gotten used to Bebe-kun's mix of French, English, and Japanese. Just what _was_ that?"

"Nothing. Just forget about it."

"Dai-chan, what happened? We used to share _everything_. Why must you keep _this_ from me?"

"Because no one can know."

Minato swallowed, nodded. "I understand. I—I won't ask again." He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Minato spun back around. The young boy was staring down at his hands, which seemed to be practically strangling the sheets. Minato smiled vaguely. "_Nani?_"

"I'll tell you. One day."

Minato closed his eyes, nodded slowly once more. "Then I'll wait."

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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They actually brought the younger teen along this time, though he was strictly told to not join the battle. That was fine with him. After all, Minato might've forgotten his warning, but the teen didn't.

Bad things would happen if they managed to kill this shadow.

It was understandable that Minato had forgotten. The first-year only mentioned it once, and that was ages ago now.

So when Minato, Aigis, Koromaru, and Akihiko went in for their final attack, the teen wasn't surprised.

What _did_ surprise him was when, as the shadow faded away, Minato's small grin fell from his face as they locked eyes.

"…Oh, _crap!_" Minato hissed, then added a quick, "_Kuso!_"

But everyone else was already calling dibs on sushi for their celebration dinner.

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A/N: Yay, two updates at once! Everyone, _REJOICE!_ Be back soon.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: hurlo! Last chapter for Persona 3, next chapter starts Persona 4! YAY! Well, technically, the end of this chapter does, but…. Enjoy!

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It hadn't worked. The Dark Hour was still there. And he had been left behind _again_ while S.E.E.S. ran off to find Ikutsuki and Aigis.

At least he had Koromaru's company.

He sighed. "Koro-kun, something bad will happen tonight."

The dog whined.

"I'm just not sure which thing will go wrong."

The dog barked.

He stood. "Well, we'd best get ready to go after them." He moved over to a corner, pulling up the carpet and a few of the floorboards, revealing a small crawl space. He reached in and dug out the kunai chain whip he had bought a month ago. He stepped back, spun the chain, watched as the kunai spun around. Then he slid them into his pocket, letting the chain hang at his hip. "Okay, Koro-kun, let's do this."

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"_Kuso_, how're we supposed to help them?" he murmured. Koromaru whimpered.

Their friends hung in the air, fastened to makeshift crosses. Ikutsuki stood before them, speaking to a very blank-faced Aigis. She, in turn, was facing the crosses with her hands pointed, ready to fire at their friends.

He clenched his fists around the pole he hid behind. "_Chikushou_…. He's even got Mitsuru-senpai's _otou-san_. What should we—?"

Koromaru jumped past him.

"_Koro-kun!_" he hissed. He bit his lip, worried, then rushed in a crouch after the dog.

Koromaru knocked some sense into Aigis, who ended up firing seemingly sporadically. The S.E.E.S. team dropped from the crosses, their restraints cut by the bullets. Kirijo, Mitsuru's father, was in a face-off with Ikutsuki, both aiming a gun at the other.

The teen pulled his kunai chain from his pocket, sliding it silently behind Ikutsuki, then moving to get a better position. The guns went off, and he watched carefully as Kirijo fell. Mitsuru and the others rushed to him.

Ikutsuki laughed, stepping back a bit. He was spouting out all this talk of being the harbringer of death and the prince of the new world. Then he stepped on the kunai, and the young teen tugged on the chain, throwing Ikutsuki off balance and over the edge of Tartarus. The man laughed all the way to the bottom.

The teen came up out of his hiding spot, pulling the kunai back in. Mitsuru was sobbing over her faher. Akihiko looked like he didn't know what to do—and he probably didn't. Junpei stared at the spot Ikutsuki had fallen from. Yukari and Fuuka were trying to revive Aigis. Ken was sitting next to Koromaru.

Minato came over to the teen. "It's a good thing you and Koro-chan didn't listen to us. We would've been dead if you had."

The teen nodded.

Minato sighed. "You tried to warn me about this, too, _ne?_ 'I don't trust him,' 'You shouldn't be destroying the full moon shadows,' 'Ikutsuki-san is lying to you'."

"I'm three for three."

Minato froze. "_N—Nani?_ But, there were only _two—_unless… Junpei-kun will…?"

"Hm? Oh, the third wasn't one I'd told you!"

"_N—Nani?_"

"Strega asked me to join, and I turned them down. Takaya didn't like that."

Minato grinned weakly, let out a dry chuckle. "You're getting to four for four. Junpei's working on Chidori. He's always at the hospital with her."

The teen sighed, looked up at the moon. "She'll save him, too. She'll live on in him. He'll know that."

There was something in the way he stared at the glowing moon then the place Ikutsuki had fallen that worried Minato more than what he had predicted. But Minato simply smiled at the teen. "_Hai_, I'm sure he will."

He'd explain later…wouldn't he?

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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"Mina-kun?"

Minato blinked, glanced between the young teen and the newest transfer student. "Ah, Yamada-kouhai, _na—?_"

"May I speak with Mochizuki Ryoji-senpai?"

Minato's brow furrowed. "_Na—?_"

Ryoji grinned. "Course you can! And just Ryoji, please."

The younger boy tilted his head as he smiled. "Please, come with me, Ryoji-senpai."

The two walked off, leaving behind a very confused Minato.

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"I don't agree with Aigis-senpai," the teen began. "You aren't the enemy."

"_Arigatou._"

"But, I don't quite trust you. You'll understand when you remember, but until then, I'll just keep an eye on you when you're around Mina-kun."

Ryoji tilted his head. "You're formal towards everyone, but not towards him. Why?"

"Mina-kun understands better than most. I'm closer to him."

Ryoji stared him down, then grinned. "In more ways than one, I'd bet."

He didn't even seem surprised at the insinuation. "_Hai_, that's a bet you'd win. Now, let's head back while Mina-kun's still listening at the door."

Ryoji's brow furrowed, but he spun and pulled open the door. Minato almost tripped in his attempt to pull away. Ryoji glanced between the two other teens. "How'd you—?"

"Don't ask," both declared.

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"_Ja ne!_ Have fun in Kyoto, senpai!" the younger teen called. "Oh, and Minato-senpai?"

Minato blinked, turned back. "Yeah?"

"When Junpei-senpai and Ryoji-senpai convince you to go to the hot springs at an odd time, make sure you hide yourself well!"

Minato, too used to the teen's visions by now, simply nodded. "_Hai_, I will."

"And when you forget to, I get to say 'I told you so'."

Minato chuckled. "You mean _if_ I forget."

"_Iie_, I mean _when_."

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A few days later, the group of older S.E.E.S. members came home. It was not a completely happy reunion, though. The guys seemed to be in pain and were walking on egg shells around the obviously pissed girls.

Ken, Koromaru, and the lone highschooler who had stayed behind stared. Then, the teen sighed. "I told you—"

"Not. A. Word."

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"Dai-chan, you've been quiet lately. Why?" Minato pulled the teen closer.

"…Where's Aigis-senpai?"

Minato relinquished his hold on the younger boy. "Aigis?"

"Something's…going on."

Minato blinked, realized what he had said, and moved closer again. "I don't know where she is. What's going on?"

"I don't know. But, it's bad."

"Where should we go?"

"The Moonlight Bridge."

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They got there during the Dark Hour. Aigis and Ryoji were already facing off. Minato was ready to rush off and stop them, but the teen beside him pulled him back.

"Look," he said, "the Moon."

He pointed up at the bright green, glowing full moon. Minato froze. "Full…_kuso_…." Minato spun to the teen. "What's going on? What's going to happen here?"

"Aigis-senpai wants to protect you."

Minato shook him. "_What's going to happen!_"

"She'll fall. The Shadow will be revealed. Nyx has begun her descent."

Behind them, Aigis leapt. Ryoji didn't move. Halfway through the air, her power source failed, and she dropped, crashing to the ground.

Ryoji and the teen both glanced up at the moon. "I/He remember(s)…."

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"So, Ryoji-kun was really a Shadow…."

"Yeah," the teen murmured. He lay on the bed as Minato paced.

"And you knew." He sounded accusing.

"Yeah."

"You _always_ know, _ne?_ _Everything._ Shinjiro-senpai. Ryoji-kun. Junpei-kun and Chidori-san. Koro-chan, Aigis-san, and Ken-kun. Even Kyoto!" He stopped his pacing and turned to the teen. "Koro-chan's a dog, Aigis-san's a robot, Ryoji-kun's a Shadow…. What are _you?_"

The teen glanced at him, then looked back at the ceiling. "I don't know. A ghost, maybe? It'd make sense, given everything…else that happened."

"What—What _did_ happen?" Minato sat by the boy as he realized that this wasn't like his other social links. Something serious had happened to his friend in the past, something that he was absolutely adamant to not speak about. Minato had the feeling that he had just caused their relationship to reverse when the younger boy sighed and leaned in closer.

"…I lied, when I met you. I _am_ half-Japanese, but I'm not American."

"Kind of figured when you were muttering in some other language that one day. German, _ne?_"

The teen grinned. "_Hai_. M—My family and I were originally in Germany. After the Accident, I was sent to a friend of the family who lived in America. He…passed recently, so I was sent out here."

"Why? Why didn't you get pulled into social services?"

The teen shivered, so Minato wrapped an arm around him. "I wasn't a citizen. I was only there on my visa, and it was expired. They helped me find a school that could set me up in a dorm. And here I am."

"_Gomen nasai_," Minato murmured. It was the most formal they had ever been. "I know what it's like to lose your family."

"_Hai_, I remember. But, you had them 'til you were seven, _ne?_"

"Um, yeah. When did—?"

"I was three. The only time I remember the language is when I'm sleepy. Especially so after a nightmare."

"So, it was a nightmare that day?"

The teen nodded, burrowing closer to Minato. "_Hai_."

"W—What was it about?"

The teen hid his face in the other's shirt. Minato could feel him quivering as he began to cry.

"Shhh, it's okay. I can wait 'til you're ready."

He didn't expect any reply. So when he heard a quiet, "_Arigatou_," he was shocked.

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

5|0|_!7 |03|250|\|4|_!7!35

"Hey, Dai-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"I've heard everyone else's thoughts on Ryoji-kun's deal. But_,_ you haven't said a word about it. Why?"

"I've made my opinion known since the beginning."

"Dai-chan, please, I need to know for sure. Should we fight Nyx or forget?"

"You'll end up forgetting anyway."

"You think we should give up?"

"_Iie_, I'm just stating that you'll forget this past year after the battle. I'm not saying you shouldn't fight, but everything will be gone from your mind."

"I…don't understand."

The teen smiled weakly. "Fight, Mina-kun. You must fight Nyx."

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It was almost midnight. The whole of S.E.E.S. watched anxiously as Minato and his first-year friend went upstairs. Minato had practically begged the teen to come along. He didn't trust himself to make the best decision alone, though his doubt may have come from his friend mentioning that he could see it happening either way.

That teen still confused them. The only times he had really helped them were with Ikutsuki, and Ryoji and Aigis' battle. In both cases, his part had been minimal. They were very worried that he would convince Minato to—

BANG.

"What the hell?"

"What's going on?"

"_Kuso_, he didn't!"

"Dammit, what's he _thinking?_"

"What are _they_ thinking?"

"This is not good."

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Minato stared in shock. Ryoji had been egging him on, begging him to shoot and kill him. The younger teen, however, kept reminding him of everyone's thoughts on the matter.

Then, Ryoji began taunting the teen. "Everyone around you dies, _ne?_ Your _kazoku_, your guardian, Shinjiro-senpai, your friends back home." He smirked. "Everyone but _you_. Why is _that_, do you think? Are they _aiming_ for you and missing? Are you bad luck? Or is it really _you_ who is killing them?"

Minato started to defend his friend, but Ryoji cut him off.

"_Iie_, I'm not making _anything_ up. He's thought all this before. Many times. Your little _friend_ thinks he's a cold-blooded _killer_, and he could be _right._ Think about it, Minato. He admitted he lied to you before. He could have lied about Shinjiro-senpai's death. He always seems to _know_ when these things are going to happen. How else do you explain that?" Ryoji pointed accusingly at the teen. "He's even said _you'll_ die! He's always around you, everyone knows that. No one would think _he_ was the one who killed you! He stays in your room, too! Think how many chances that gave him to try it!"

"He never did!"

"Only because he's too _scared_." Ryoji spun to face the teen. "Weren't you? Always thinking about _them_, the ones who chase you." The teen stiffened, and Minato was surprised to find that Ryoji had crossed a line that Minato himself was terrified to cross. "You _know_ they've followed you. You _know_ they kill whoever is close to you. And yet you still search out friends when you move. This is the longest you've ever stayed in one school, _ne?_ You got so used to bouncing around, always on the run, you thought it was _normal!_ You had been through ten schools one year, but that was _low_ for you, so it _must_ have been normal for everyone else! You were so _shy_, too. And when people tried to be friendly, you were cold. But if you knew that getting near people would kill them, why didn't you just _kill yourself?_"

Minato gaped. The teen before him was shaking, eyes watery from tears he refused to shed. Minato bit his lip, glancing down at the gun in his hand as Ryoji continued his rant.

"Oh, that's _right!_ You _did_ try to suicide, _ne?_ Except you failed at that just like everything else! Then they threw you in that padded room, _ne?_ No one to talk to, no one to get killed. Those were the happiest four months of your life! But then even _that_ happiness was killed. They pulled you out, said you were 'better'. What did _they_ know? You went right back to your old ways, locking yourself away with a variety of blades. They said you were _lucky_, that you were found just in time. Five major arteries you'd gotten to. _Five!_ But they sewed you all up, said you'd need to be watched night and day. Suddenly, the knives were gone, the razors were gone, the scissors were gone. You weren't even allowed a fork at dinner! So you got creative. Light bulbs to burn, pens, screws, or nails to cut, dark shirts and pants to hide the marks. But they even caught you at that."

"Shut up," the young teen breathed. He knew the next part of the story. He didn't want to hear it.

"They tied you down, kept you restrained. Your guardian hated it. So one day, when they weren't looking—"

"Shut up!"

"He cut you free. Then, _they_ struck. You had to watch—"

"_Shut up!_" This time, both the teen and Minato had spoken. The gun was aimed at Ryoji, and Minato's finger was tightening on the trigger.

Ryoji grinned. "They cut into him. Cut him deeper than you'd ever cut yourself. And you just _let them._ You _let_ them kill him, just like you let them kill your—!"

BANG.

Minato had closed his eyes to fire, so he had no idea what had happened. He didn't open his eyes until he heard Ryoji murmur, "Why'd he—?"

He glanced over with gray eyes. Ryoji was holding the bleeding teen. Minato gaped. "Wh—What happened?"

Ryoji shook his head. "He saw you getting ready to fire and jumped in front of me. Even though I said all those things…. Why'd he do that?"

"Have to… fight Nyx," the teen breathed.

The two others blinked in shock. "Y—You're okay?" Minato gasped.

"You may… be able to… summon… but you… _suck_ at… aiming." The teen pointed to his shoulder. "I'll… be fine. I've… had worse."

Minato nodded, then looked back up at Ryoji. "I've made my decision. We're going to fight Nyx."

" 'S about time," the teen murmured.

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"You _do_ realize that's the fifth bullet you've taken in three months."

"_Hai._"

"And you're gonna have a permanent limp from the four in your leg."

"Yeah."

Minato sighed. "You need to take better care of yourself, Dai-chan." He sat next to the teen. "You make me worried sometimes."

The teen smirked. "Only sometimes?"

"_Danny…._"

The teen chuckled and cuddled up closer to Minato. "_Gomen _ I _had _to, though. Well, _this_ time. I couldn't let him goad you into making the wrong decision. So I'm out of commission for a while, who cares? Like Takeba-senpai said, I really don't do much."

Minato grabbed the teen's chin and forced him to look him in the eyes. "Don't think that way. You help in your own way. You try to warn us. It's our own fault for not listening. And my fault for letting Ryoji go that far. _Gomen nasai,_ Dai-chan."

"There's no reason for you to apol—"

"_Iie_, there is. Part of the reason why it took me so long to react was because I wanted to know more about you. I was being selfish, thinking that this would be the easiest way to learn more about your past. It wasn't until I noticed you shaking that I realized you weren't ready."

"I'm… almost ready. I'd just rather tell you myself."

"Whenever you're ready, I'll listen. Just… take care of yourself in the meantime." Minato stood and would've walked away, but the teen grabbed his wrist. Minato glanced at him.

"I… I want to help you fight Nyx."

Minato grinned, leaned in, and kissed him. "It's about time you said that!"

SMASH

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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"Tonight's the night."

"_Hai_."

"I—I'm actually not used to this, but I…I got you something."

The teen glanced up. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around? All of your links give _you_ something."

"I feel more like I'm _your_ social link. Thus, I got you something." He handed over a small, wrapped package.

The teen looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "You _wrapped_ it?"

Minato actually blushed. "Like I said, I'm not used to this."

The teen shrugged, then carefully picked at the wrapping paper. When he finally had it opened, he stared in shock. "Th—This is…."

"My MP3 player. I just ordered a new one, anyway, since I'm about out of room on that one. It still has all my music on it."

The teen cautiously lifted the music player out of its box and slipped the cord over his head. The player came to rest on his chest, the headphones just below his neck. "_Arigatou_, Mina-kun."

Minato grinned and kissed him. "No problem. Now, let's get ready for—"

"I'm ready to tell you."

Minato sat back down. "Okay. I'm ready to listen."

So the teen spoke, staring down at his hands the whole time. It was pretty much what Ryoji had said, but the teen went into more detail about his own suicide attempts. He skirted around the deaths of his family and guardian, saying only, "_They_ killed them all." He never said who "they" were. He ended by saying, "I'm on the run from them. I really shouldn't be getting close to _anyone_. Ryoji-senpai was right. My being near you only serves to put you at risk."

Minato placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. "I fight Shadows on a nightly basis. I'm at risk anyway."

The teen glanced up at him, eyes watery and searching Minato's own. Finally, he nodded. "_Hai_. You're right. I'm… glad to have met you, Mina-kun."

"Yeah, me, too."

The world seemed to go black, and they were in the room for a long time.

SMASH

_Thou art I… and I art thou…. The bond thou hast nurtured hath finally matured. The innermost power of the World Arcana hath been set free…. We bestow upon thee the ability to create the Fright Knight, the ultimate form of the World Arcana. This bond shall never be broken… even as you move on while he passes…._

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A/N: Yay, more.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: More story for y'all! Just so's ya know, this technically is a repost of last chapter. HOWEVER! I've gone back over the past chapters _and added new content_. So reread, since there's stuff you'd've missed if you just skipped forward to this chapter!

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They were at the top of the tower. They thought that Nyx would be waiting there. They only found Jin.

The battle was quick, and they were once again climbing more steps as the tower changed yet again. Just before the next platform, their second-youngest member murmured, "Fourteen forms…. Then an egg…."

They didn't have time to spare him a glance as the floor shook in an explosion. Then Takaya came into view. He looked somewhat sad.

"I heard the explosion. Jin is gone, _ne?_" he asked.

"_Hai_," the normally quiet teen responded.

Takaya seemed surprised to see him in the tower. "Hmmm, finally come along, have you? I suppose it would be pointless to ask you to join us."

"Yeah, it would." He nodded to the others. "Go ahead. Nyx is waiting. I will take care of this."

Minato was unwilling. "Um, but, Dai-chan—"

"It's fine. I wish to help. Go!"

Minato bit his lip, nodded, turned, and left.

The teen turned back to his opponent. "Time to see how good Phantom is in battle." He raised the Evoker to his head and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

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By the time he stumbled up to the true top of the tower, Nyx had descended. Minato and the others were fighting it off the best they could, but it had already gone through its weaker thirteen forms. Its true form, Death, was a challenge.

The teen didn't even think. Pulling the trigger was second-nature to him now. "_Phantom!_"

BANG!

A bufu followed quickly by a garu nailed Nyx.

It stumbled back, looking confused. Then, its eyes landed on the young teen, and it grinned, casting a charming spell.

The world around the teen turned pink as the blast knocked his Evoker away and over the edge of the tower. His eyes glazed over, and he spun to face the S.E.E.S. group instead of the monster they were fighting.

Minato cursed. "Someone heal him! He's been charmed!" He rushed forward to attack Nyx, but his friend jumped in the way. Minato pulled to a stop just in time as the teen lashed out with his chained kunai. "_Kuso_…. You guys worry about Nyx. I'll deal with him. Just hold your attacks when it does Moonless Gown!"

"Alright!"

Minato turned back to the teen and had to immediately dodge another swipe of the kunai. Then Minato brought his Evoker up to his head.

The teen mirrored him, pulling up his kunai to his throat. Minato froze, hand on trigger. The teen smirked. "What's wrong, Mina-kun? You evoke _all_ the time! What's making you stop _now?_"

Minato bit his lip, and the teen's smirk grew wider.

"Oh, so _that's_ it, _ne?_ Can't _bear_ to have a friend hurt because of you?" He chuckled darkly. "Now you know how _I_ feel. How about we play a game, hm? The only way Nyx-sama's charm will lift is if you knock me out. If you evoke, I'll cut progressively deeper with this." He motioned with the kunai, nicking his neck in the process.

Minato put the Evoker back in his belt, instead tightening his grip on his sword. He rushed forward, striking more lightly than he would against a Shadow, but the teen simply brushed off the attack.

"Slash attacks won't work!" Fuuka called to him.

The charmed teen chuckled again.

"Aigis-san, Akihiko-senpai, help me out, here," Minato demanded.

The teen smirked. "It won't work," he sang.

Akihiko and Aigis rushed over. "Whatcha want us to do?" Akihiko asked.

"Melee. Slash won't work, so maybe pierce or strike—"

"It. Won't. Work," the teen before them snarled, annoyed he was being ignored.

"He's right," Fuuka gasped. "He is resistant to ice and nullifies all physical attacks! You have to use magic!"

"_Kuso_," Minato hissed.

"What is the problem?" Aigis stated. "Simply attack him."

"He'll slice his throat if we evoke."

Akihiko winced, and Aigis tilted her head.

There was a loud noise behind them, and Minato ordered the two back to fight Nyx. He turned back to the younger teen, surprised to see how close he'd gotten. "Ya—!"

The teen smashed their lips together.

Minato blushed as he realized that the others were nearby. He wasn't normally intimate when in front of a crowd. He pulled away, gasping, "What the hell, Yamada?"

The teen grinned. "_Nani?_ You've wanted in my pants since you met me. Now that I'm willing, you push me away?"

Face bright red, Minato stammered a, "Y—You're under a—a spell!"

"What about earlier? Was I under a spell then?"

"Th—That was dif—!"

"Right, because that happens when you hit level ten with _all_ your social links! God forbid one of them actually likes you enough to keep hanging out with you _after_ level ten!"

"Yamada!"

"You've even stopped calling me Dai-chan! You don't _really _care about _anyone!_ You just want the levels so you can get laid and get stronger Personae! Why, then, should you care if I slit my throat?" He brought the kunai back to his neck, ready to cut.

Minato practically threw the Evoker up to his head, pulling the trigger quickly.

A ziodyne blasted forward as the teen drew the kunai to the side. Behind them, the battle wound down as Nyx collapsed. Everyone who had been battling the death god spun to face Minato and the still-charmed teen.

Blood oozed down the teen's front as he dodged the ziodyne. He replaced the bloody kunai at his neck, staring Minato down. "You missed," he murmured. "Wanna try again?"

"Why didn't it wear off?" Junpei hissed as the others ran over. "We killed Nyx!"

"We have to restrain him and use a dis-charm. It won't wear off on its own. Nyx put too much power into it." Minato glanced back at the teen, debating how to stop him without him cutting himself further. He'd worked too hard to keep the teen safe to lose him now.

"Why not just cast a one-hit knock-out?" Mitsuru tried. "Like mudo or hama?"

"He'll slice his throat if I evoke. He did once already."

"Th—That was _him?_" Fuuka gasped. "I thought you'd managed to get passed his resistance to physicals!"

Minato shook his head. "He did it himself."

"Is this… part of the charm?" Yukari breathed.

"Partially. I—I knew he was—used to be suicidal, but I never thought I'd actually _see_ him—"

The teen was dragging the kunai across his throat again.

"Hey! No one's evoking!" Minato yelled in a panic.

The teen smirked. "You're taking too long. I got bored."

"_Chikushou_…. Junpei-kun, Akihiko-senpai, and Aigis-san, you three keep him in one spot while we use dis-charms."

"Understood," Aigis murmured.

The three ran at the teen, herding him.

"Now!" Minato called after handing everyone a dis-charm to use. They all aimed and threw at the same time, and a blue smoke covered the area that the three teammates and the teen had been in.

As the smoke cleared, they could see the three S.E.E.S. members holding up a coughing, no-longer-charmed teen. Minato rushed forward, motioning for Yukari to follow.

"Help me heal him."

The two cast multiple diaramas, watching as the cuts on his neck slowly faded into scabs, then scars. Minato held the teen close, worried. The others stood again.

"Well, we did it, I guess," Ken declared.

"Yeah, we beat Nyx!" Junpei exclaimed.

Then a loud noise came from behind them. They spun, as the teen woke up, to see Nyx rising into the air. Strong pressure forced them to the ground again, Minato passing out.

The teen that had been charmed was the only one unaffected by the pressure. He glanced around, noticing people on the ground weren't in their coffins, that they were being turned into Shadows. Then he looked at the S.E.E.S. members.

"They fought hard," Nyx murmured. "But everyone _wants_ the end of the world. They have called me here. I must fulfill their wishes."

"Mina-kun won't let you, Ryoji-senpai."

Nyx chuckled. "Ah, _hai_…. You knew my Appriser, didn't you?"

"He was a good friend. I would've liked to know him better."

"Maybe in another life. Another world."

Minato stirred. "Maybe," the teen still standing said, trying to keep Nyx's attention off his friend.

"Will you ever tell them that you remember what happened when you were charmed?"

The teen closed his eyes, shook his head slowly. "They don't need to know. They'd only worry more."

Minato was slowly pushing himself up.

Nyx didn't notice. "You care deeply for them, but not for yourself. Why?"

"They have friends and family who love them. I don't. People will miss them, not me."

"Minato-kun will miss you."

"_Hai, _but he won't live to see spring."

"You told him that before, too. Why do you say that?"

"Because he'll die to lock you away."

Minato stood to his full height just behind the teen. The rest of S.E.E.S. was stirring, watching their leader walk towards Nyx. With each step, he seemed to lift up until he was floating up to the death god. He glanced back quickly, nodding at the teen. He remembered what had been said all those months ago.

_"Nyx will destroy us all if you continue this path. But, what I say won't change your actions. You'll fight off all twelve and still be shocked at the outcome."_

The S.E.E.S. members panicked. "_Iie!_ What's he doing?"

"He's beating Nyx."

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There were a few short minutes where he was truly upset that Minato was going to die—and probably already was dead. Then, he thought of what would happen if he didn't die, and he found himself at peace.

So when Minato came out from the shadows, only a small part of him was happy. The rest was panicked.

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Everyone but Aigis had forgotten. Meanwhile, he simply _couldn't_ forget. He grew close to the robot, a natural course of events, given that they were the only two that remembered everything. While she hid to eavesdrop on their friends, though, he made no effort to disguise his own spying.

"Do you… remember how we became friends?" he heard Junpei ask one day in March.

Yukari blinked. "Ah, well, we're in the same homeroom and dorm. I guess it just …happened."

"Lie," the teen murmured.

Minato heard him. "_Nani?_ What would _you_ know about it?"

Blue locked with gray. "More than you think."

Minato's brow furrowed. "Who _are_ you, anyway?"

"Shun Yamada. First year. I live in your dorm."

"…Awkward…." Junpei mumbled.

"You've forgotten everything else. Don't forget the promise." He turned and walked away, stopped shortly after by Minato.

"What do you mean?" the older teen demanded.

The younger smirked. "Don't worry, Mina-kun, Aigis-chan and I will remind you."

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It was graduation day, the day they had promised to meet up again. Aigis and the younger teen decided to intercept Minato and remind him.

They convinced him to let them into his room. He seemed to sort of know what was going on, but he still looked confused.

They stalled him there until it was too late to get to school in time for the assembly. He agreed to wait on the roof of the school building. As they approached the school, the younger teen noticed how weak and tired Minato looked.

"You seem…sick," he murmured. "Are you feeling okay?"

"…I think I'll feel better once I see everyone."

And it was then that the young teen knew that Minato remembered.

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Minato had asked them to help him lay down. They agreed, and he soon found himself lying on a bench, head in his friend's lap. The younger teen stroked his hair, attempting to calm him.

Minato didn't need it.

They spoke quietly for a while, then Aigis heard something from inside the building.

"They're coming," she said, "they've remembered."

The young teen grinned sadly, Minato mirroring him. "Everyone remembers now," the younger whispered. "You've done your job and kept your promise."

"_Minato-kun!_"

"Aigis-san, Shun-kouhai!"

"You can sleep now."

Minato nodded vaguely, then closed his eyes. His hand fell from the bench as he went limp.

The young teen sighed. "It must've been draining to keep your corpse around and functional for an extra month." He glanced up at where Minato had fought off Nyx. "Please, protect us all. Keep her back. Stay strong for us, for your friends. Protect them… even after I leave…."

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It had only been a day since Minato passed, but already the dorm was completely different. Everyone was grieving, but all in different ways. Aigis was probably the most calm member of S.E.E.S., seeing as she, like the younger teen Minato had befriended, knew what was coming since Minato battled Nyx alone.

Fuuka had regressed back to the quiet, shy girl she'd been before she met the group, but thankfully, she hadn't moved back in with her parents.

Neither had Junpei. He remained at the dorm, only leaving every so often to visit Chidori, who almost died saving him from Takaya and Jin.

Ken was planning on moving back to the elementary dorms and was already mostly packed. Koromaru had stayed mostly by Ken and Junpei.

Mitsuru and Akihiko did a good job pretending to be mature and handle Minato's death well, but everyone could tell neither was as confident as they used to be. Akihiko was deciding on a college still, but he knew he planned to become a cop. Mitsuru ended up managing the Kirijo Company while taking a few online courses.

Mitsuru allowed the first-year to stay in the dorms, even going so far as to officially give him Minato's room.

That was the last straw for Yukari. She hadn't taken Minato's death well to begin with, and she seemed to blame the death on his young friend, so hearing that he'd been given Minato's room….

It definitely made him glad that S.E.E.S. members were no longer allowed to carry their weapons on them at all times.

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"Ah, wait up, Yamada-kouhai!"

He spun, seeing Yukari running towards him. For a moment, he panicked, nervous at why she wanted to speak to him and knowing they'd never been on good terms to begin with.

But he hid the panic and nerves under a blank mask, much like the one Minato normally wore. "_Hai,_ Takeba-senpai?"

"Come with me. I wanted to talk with you. In private."

He gulped. Those words _never_ boded well. But he knew it'd be worse to deny her. "…Alright."

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He should've known she'd take him to the Moonlight Bridge. It's where everything bad happened, after all.

Well, there and school/Tartarus.

"What did you want to talk about, Takeba-senpai?" he asked, turning towards her.

He was suddenly slammed against the guard rail. "Don't play dumb with me!" she hissed. "You could've stopped him! He didn't _need_ to die, but _you_ let him, anyway!" She sneered down at him, and he once again cursed his lack of height. "You _wanted_ him out of the way! _You killed him!_"

"I did _not!_" he protested, straining against her hold.

She slammed him back, pushing him so he leaned partially out over the water. "You could've _warned_ him. Everyone knows. Mitsuru-senpai's only being polite because you're a _charity case_, but our school can't keep you here any longer. Once you get dropped, you'll be kicked out, and we'll be able to avenge his death." She leaned in closer, and he reflexively leaned back, almost losing his delicate balance on the guard rail. "_You may want to start running before we get that chance_," she snarled, shoving at him before stalking off.

Breathing heavily after having just barely being able to hold onto the rail to keep himself from falling, the first-year's knees gave out, and he kneeled on the bridge, panting.

He knew a dismissal when he heard one. Yukari was right, the school couldn't keep him on scholarship, and without money, he'd be unable to stay at the school _or_ the dorms.

It was time for him to move on. Again.

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"Must you really go?" Aigis asked.

The young teen was rushing around, packing a small suitcase and a messenger bag. "I have to. Gekkoukan Haigh can't afford me to be here with no money, and they've already found a family to house me by Yasogami High." He glanced up at her. "Inaba isn't that far from Iwatodai. I'm sure I could visit sometimes. But, I can't stay here."

"First Minato-kun, now you? Does it have to be so soon?"

"The school year's about to start, so I have to be over there by tomorrow. I still have to move in, after all."

Aigis nodded. "I…understand. I will…miss you." She left the room, but came back in a few minutes. "I wish for you to take this." She held something out.

He took it, but nearly dropped it when he saw what it was. It was the chained kunai he had thrown away after January 31. Next to that was Minato's Evoker.

"_I—Iie!_ I—I can't—!"

"You were charmed at that time. We stopped you. You need to protect yourself in Inaba in case something happens. Take these with you."

"_I—Iie_—"

"If not for yourself, for me. For _Minato_. We don't want you getting hurt because you had nothing to protect yourself with. We—_He_ would want you to be safe."

The teen lowered his head, closed his eyes. Then his fingers curled around the two weapons. "_Hai_, he would. You both do. _Gomen_, I—I had nearly forgotten that… that I had friends—_family_ here." He smiled weakly. "_Arigatou_, Aigis-san, for the help. I promise I'll call you everyday." He kissed her on the cheek.

She smiled. "You best. Or I'll hunt you down and show you exactly how much of a 'tank' I can be!"

He blushed. "Ha, I already know. I've seen you battle the Shadows. I have no doubt you're a tank."

"Then remember: if I hear of you letting yourself get hurt, I'll hunt you down and kill you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

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"This stop Yasoinaba Station."

The teen stood, grabbing his two small bags and heading to the doors. They opened, and he stepped out onto the platform, glancing around. No one was there, and no one else was getting off. He sighed, setting down his bags and collapsing onto a bench. Then he leapt off it as he remembered the last time he had sat on a bench. He picked up his bags again and waited.

He was there for a while. His phone rang while he waited, and he answered, knowing it to be Aigis and knowing she would kill him if he didn't. "_Moshi moshi_."

_"How is Inaba?"_

He glanced around. "Lonely. I haven't been picked up yet."

_"They… have left you there?"_

He sighed. "I think they forgot."

_"__**Nani?**__"_

"Yeah, I mean, it probably just slipped their minds—Ah, nevermind. I think this is them now."

_"Should I reprimand them for forgetting you?"_

"_Iie._ I'll call you once I'm unpacked. _Ja ne._"

_"__**Ja ne.**__"_

He hung up as two people walked over to him. One was middle-aged, wearing a suit and a somewhat bored look, the other around the teen's own age, with blue hair and a slight figure. A hat shaded the younger's eyes.

"_Konbanwa_, Shun-san," the older stated, bowing. "_Gomen_, we were running late all day. I am Yakushiji, and this is—"

"Shirogane Naoto," the smaller teen said.

The voice didn't fool the tired teen. "Naoto's not a very feminine name."

Naoto blushed, looking flustered.

The teen yawned. "_Gomen nasai,_ Shirogane-san, I tend to be blunt when tired. Please, if you plan to yell at me, do it when I'm more awake."

She nodded. "_Hai_, I intend to."

He mirrored her nod. "I am Shun Yamada, and _arigatou _for allowing me to stay in your home. I'll try not to be too much trouble."

"Well, we'd best be off," Naoto declared. "Ojii-san is waiting."

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A/N: yay! So the next few chapters will be focusing on Danny and Naoto working the P4 case up until they actually join Souji and co. More coming soon! BYES!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hurlo. More story for you!

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"Hey, Naoto-kun," the tired teen yawned, "_gomen nasai_ for earlier. If I offended you—"

"It wasn't an offense. I simply wasn't expecting you to see through my ruse so quickly."

The teen nodded. "I'm still sorry. How about this? Since I now know something you want kept private, I'll tell you something I want kept private."

She blinked at him, then her eyes narrowed. "What's the catch?"

"I only know a portion of why you dress that way. Likewise, I'll only tell you a portion of my story. If you want to know more, you'll have to do some digging."

She grinned. "Lucky for me, I've been training for years to become a detective."

He smiled sleepily. "My name is actually Danny Fenton. Shun Yamada is an alias." He paused. "Well, of sorts."

"So I need to discover why you go by it?"

"Whatever you'd like to discover. But, I won't make it easy for you."

Her grin turned into a smirk. "Likewise."

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana…._

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"Hey, is there a place nearby that does piercings?"

Naoto blinked at him. "_N—Nani?_"

"Yeah, I sorta want to get a couple more piercings." He pushed his hair behind his ear, showing several silver studs, one hoop, and an ear band.

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have enough already?"

He shook his head. "I missed January." He paused. "And March."

"What do you mean?"

"Last year, full moons were important for my friends. And dangerous. They were sort of detectives, in their own right. Each time they got past a full moon, I got a new piercing. I—I forgot to, in January."

"And why the jump from January to March?"

"January was the last important full moon. March… March was important, too. Just… in general."

Naoto thought that through, then nodded. "Alright. I know of a place. They should be open today."

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"There are some places that close on Wednesdays. Plus, it's not a good idea to go anywhere today without knowing what's open and what isn't today."

"Why?"

"It's April Fool's Day."

He went silent.

She got worried. "What's wrong?"

"…I need to…to catch a train."

"Why?"

"I—It's my friend's birthday. I need to go say happy birthday to him."

"Why must you see him? Simply call—"

"I can't. He's—He's dead."

She bit her lip. "…I'll come with you."

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Naoto simply followed the older teen, confused by what he was doing. She was used to him being quiet, but something was unsettling about his actions today.

"This stop Iwatodai Station."

She blinked. "Iwa…todai?"

"_Hai_. This is where I was before I came to Inaba."

"I… see."

She followed as he walked from the station to a nearby cemetery. He finally stopped and knelt before a small stone. It read

**Arisato Minato. **

**1992-2010. **

**Friend, Son, Hero.**

"Happy eighteenth, Mina-kun," the teen murmured.

"Y—You know—_knew_ Minato-kun?"

He glanced up at her. "You do, too?"

She nodded. "_Hai_, he's my—my cousin. I had heard that he—he passed, but my ojii-san and I were out of the country for the funeral."

"It was small, quiet. He would've rather had his music playing."

Naoto saw him finger the MP3 player that hung from his neck. "He… gave you that, _ne?_ He was always wearing his."

"_Hai_. He gave it to me just before."

She knelt next to him, clasping her hands together. She bowed her head, murmuring to herself.

The two stayed there for a while, then stood and left.

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"Ah, here we are."

Naoto looked up. The place they stood in front of was obviously for piercings and tattoos. "Um, I'm not really sure about—!"

"These guys know me. I'm one of their best customers, seeing as I was here once a month last year. Maybe you could even get your ears pierced, too."

"_Iie_. That would make it too obvious that I'm—"

"I'm a guy, and after today I'll have twelve holes in my ears. It's not so unusual nowadays for guys to have their ears pierced. Just don't get girly earrings!"

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"I still can't believe you convinced me to do that!" Naoto complained as she cleaned around her new spiral earrings.

The older teen chuckled as he turned his own new studs, one of which was a skull and crossbones, the other miniscule angel wings. "Oh, c'mon. They make you even more badass now. Between those and the gun, you're set."

"I don't see the connection, there."

"You don't have to. Others do. Lighten up some, Naoto-kun. It won't kill you to act your age every so often."

"…I'm still going to find out why you go by your other name."

He smirked. "Good luck with that."

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana…._

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Naoto's grandfather, unlike Naoto herself, was quick to trust the teen. He allowed him and Naoto both to stay in a small apartment that the family owned. He simply had them promise that they wouldn't throw any wild parties with their friends.

Naoto scoffed at that, once they'd moved in. "Parties with friends…. As if I have time for that!"

"Too busy playing detective, _ne?_"

She turned red. "I'm not _playing!_ As if you know _anything_ about being a detective!"

"I know it takes skill, intelligence, and _experience_. Something gained over _time_."

"J—Just go to school already!"

"Aren't you coming?"

"_Iie_. I'm too busy on this case. I'll drop in later on, should the need arise."

He sighed. "Have fun today, Naoto-kun." And he left.

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Twice. Twice now a body had been found in quiet little Inaba. What if… if _they _had followed him _here?_ Would Naoto be in danger now?

He rushed back to the apartment, bursting in through the door and sighing in relief when he saw Naoto sitting there.

But then he noticed the look on her face, how rigidly she sat, arms crossed, foot tapping.

"_N—Nani?_" he murmured.

"Two bodies. That's what's been found since you moved out here."

"Are—Are you suggesting _I—?_"

"You're tense, shaking. Have been since the first body was found. Very suspicious to anyone with half a brain."

"W—What _motive_ would I have? I only _just_ came here, like you said!"

She leaned over to grab a file from the table. "I did some digging. The Fentons all died some years ago. All except for their young son." She looked back at him. "You were three at the time. That kind of trauma damages a person's psyche."

"Shut up."

"Or what? You'll kill me, too?"

"I didn't kill them!"

"Then who did? And who killed the two here?"

"_I don't know!_"

"Daniel 'Shun Yamada' Fenton, did you or did you not murder Yamano Mayumi and Konishi Saki?"

"_I didn't!_ There's another person who only just moved in, why don't you go interrogate _him_ instead?"

"Because _he_ is not _staying in my house!_"

He blinked at her, realizing she was shaking. "Y—You were… scared? Y—You thought I'd kill you?"

She shook her head. "I don't know…. I was… concerned. I—I didn't want my only friend to be a—a murderer."

He took her hand. "Don't worry. I'm not."

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana…._

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"So, what have you found about this… Seta Souji? Besides being Detective Doujima's nephew?"

He shook his head. "No good. He and his friends are attempting to solve the murders, too."

"What friends?"

"Hanamura Yosuke, Satonaka Chie, and Amagi Yukiko."

"Amagi-san?" Naoto flipped quickly through her files. "She went missing a short time ago…."

He thought back over what they knew about the victims. "She was on TV just before, like the first two."

"_Hai_. And she appeared on this… Midnight Channel."

"It's the same thing. But she lived. How…?"

"I don't know. Maybe Seta-san and his friends know. Has there been anyone else on the news recently."

"The usual, and a… Tatsumi Kanji."

Naoto nodded. "I shall interrogate him."

"Ah, um, be careful. He doesn't exactly have a good reputation…."

She smirked. "As you once stated, I _do_ have a gun."

"I know, but I don't want you to have to use it."

That half-grin of hers reappeared. "_Hai_, I suppose you would not. But don't think I haven't noticed the weapons you keep in your room!"

He blanched. "Th—Those are—are keepsakes."

One of her eyebrows arched up. "Of what?"

"Ah, never mind. So, you'll interrogate Tatsumi-san?"

"_Hai_. I believe it's about time I head back to school."

Now he smirked. "That means I'll be your senpai."

"Only by age. I'm still above you mentally, _Danny-kun_."

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the World Arcana…._

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"Tatsumi-san has gone missing," Naoto declared one day. She and the teen were at Junes.

"He's in your grade, you can call him Tatsumi-kun."

She glared at him. "The point is, he must be found before the fog comes in."

"But we have no idea where to look."

She sighed. "And Seta-san and his friends do."

He blinked at the doors. "Um, speaking of whom…."

Naoto blinked as four teens approached them.

"_Kon'nichi wa, _Shirogane-san, Shun-san," the one in front said. He had silver hair, cut in a bowl cut.

"_Kon'nichi wa_, Seta-tachi," Naoto said, taking a gruffer tone than she'd had speaking to her friend.

"Do you know anything about Tatsumi-san? We heard that you were talking with him a short time ago."

"Ah, _hai¸_ I was."

As the two began to talk, the other three pulled Naoto's friend off to the side.

"Um, _n—na—?_"

"Shun-san, _ne?_" the lone boy of the three stated.

The cornered teen nervously nodded.

The boy grinned. "I'm Hanamura Yosuke." He gestured to the two girls. "These are Satonaka Chie—"

"Yo," the brown-haired girl said, grinning.

"—and Amagi Yukiko."

The black-haired one bowed. "_Kon'nichi wa_, Shun-san."

"What do you three want? I never spoke to—!"

"Yeah, we know. But you and Shirogane-san are friends, _ne?_ We'd like to be friends, too."

"Naoto-kun's family is letting me stay with them while I attend Yasogami High."

"And we'd like to help you fit in, too!" Chie exclaimed. "But, we sort of want to know… more about you."

"_Iie_. I am not here to make friends. I am simply here to finish my schooling."

Like always, he was saved from explaining himself. Naoto and Souji came over.

"C'mon, guys, we should go to the Food Court," Souji stated with a meaningful look to his three friends.

Naoto tilted her head at her own friend. "Yama-kun? We should head back now. Yakushiji-san will be worrying."

"_H—Hai._"

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"Kujikawa Rise is now missing," Naoto stated.

The teen blinked at her. "Well, they got Tatsumi-san in time. They can get Kujikawa-san, too."

Naoto grumbled to herself. "How can mere _children_ be besting me in this case?"

"They're older than you."

She spun and glared at him.

"Well, they are!"

She sighed, but didn't argue. "They know something we do not."

"But, _nani?_"

"Therein lies the problem…."

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"They… they saved her, too."

"_Hai_."

"It's not _fair!_ _I'm_ the detective, not _them!_ How—How can they be solving this?"

"They aren't. They're simply rescuing people."

"Someone still _died_. But he goes against _everything!_ He wasn't on TV."

"He wasn't on the Midnight Channel."

"He didn't go missing, and he has a definite COD."

"So, he's a copycat murder."

"_Hai_. We mustn't get cocky. We have two killers on the loose, now."

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A/N: Yes, this _does_ seem to move quick, but only for the first part, since Naoto isn't introduced into the game until Kanji goes missing. Thus, we get some Naoto/Danny scenes before coming into the true plot. From here on out, it's gonna _slooow_ down.

Read and review, please!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hey, all. Here's some more for you. Interesting part? This is my favorite chapter in this story. ;P Those of you who know/have played P4, you'll probably know why.

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"Seta-san and his friends spoke to me again."

The teen glanced up at his friend, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? About what?"

"The Morooka murder. They wanted to know what I thought about it."

He tilted his head. "And you told them it was just a copycat?"

"_Hai._ Though it seems Seta-san had already come to that conclusion. I feel he brought me there just to convince his friends."

"Nn…. And Kujikawa-san has joined his group, just like Tatsumi-san?"

"_Hai._ You were right about anyone they save joining up with them." She shook her head. "But, how do they know what to do….?"

He bit his lip, then just went for it. "I have an idea, but it sounds a bit ridiculous…."

"_Nani?_"

"The—The other day when the Midnight Channel was on, I got really close to the screen to try to see better, which didn't work, by the way." Naoto smirked at his sheepish grin. "Um, but I tripped, and my hand went _through_ the TV."

"…You broke the TV?"

"_I—Iie!_ I went _through_ it, like it was water or—or I was intangible!"

She scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "Impossible. People can't simply go _through—_"

He shoved his hand into the TV next to them.

Her eyes went wide. She scrambled over next to him to look more closely at his arm. The screen rippled around his elbow, looking for all the world like a sideways pool of water. "H—How—? That's—That's not—!"

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, then pulled his hand out and pushed her own towards the screen. It stopped at the surface. She brought her hand away and motioned for him to try again.

His hand went through.

"Why does it work for you and not me…?" she asked in that pensive tone she used during tough cases.

"I don't know. But, if Seta-san and his friends can do this—"

"That would explain how they are able to save everyone. The victims of our murderer are somehow put _inside TVs._"

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The day they brought the rather creepy, fish-eyed Kubo Mitsuo in for the murders was the first time Naoto's friend heard her yell.

"They have the _wrong person!_" she screamed. "But, _iie!_ _Seta-san _said it was him, so it _must_ be!" She huffed, throwing herself down onto the couch.

Her friend gave her a look that was half concern, half curiosity. "They… didn't believe you?"

"The head detective, Dojima-san, took me off the case." She crossed her arms, looking like the spoiled daughter who didn't get the doll she wanted. "It's up to him and that goofy assistant of his, Adachi-san, now."

"So… what will you do?"

"I don't know. But, I _will_ think of something."

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana…._

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Naoto stared in shock at her friend. He'd been twitchy, almost panicky, since the school had announced that they would be taking a trip to Iwatodai. She'd had no idea why he was acting this way… until now.

"_N—Nani?_"

"I—I'm staying here."

Her brow furrowed. "You have to come."

He shook his head rapidly. "_I—Iie!_ What if I see Aigis-san? I—I haven't answered her calls since March! Sh—She'll kill me! O—Or Yukari-senpai, she—she blames _me_ for Mina-kun's death still! I—I _can't_ go!"

"You _have_ to. You'll be in trouble with the school if you don't!"

He got that glazed, far-away look in his eyes that she sometimes saw when he thought she wasn't looking. "I'll be leaving the school soon, anyway."

"_Na—?_"

"Never mind. I'm not going."

"…You'll get to talk to Minato-kun again." She knew it was a low blow, but she had to convince him.

His lip quivered. After a long, tense moment, he nodded shakily. "A—Alright, I—I'll go."

She grinned. "Good. I'll need the back-up to interrogate Seta-san and his friends."

That glazed look came back, but only partially. "You have Tatsumi-san confused, y'know."

She turned her nose up at him. "I have them _all_ confused," she said haughtily. "They all believe my ruse."

"_Iie_. He thinks he's gay for you."

She blushed brightly.

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The teen spent the day hiding from any and all Gekkoukan students and teachers that would recognize him. It worked, until Mr. Edogawa called on him.

"Hm, how about… Shun Yamada-san…. Wait, Shun-san?"

He pushed himself lower into the desk as the Gekko-High students stared in shock.

Fushimi Chihiro, one of the many girls Minato had dated, gasped and hunted him down after the class, cornering him with the help of her friends.

"Aigis-senpai has been going crazy, Yamada-san! You _have_ to speak to her!"

Between her and her friends, he was frog-marched to the third-year classrooms. They knocked on the door of 3-B, then ditched him. He was still gaping in shock when the door opened and Junpei stared down at him.

"Y—Yamada-kouhai? B—But—"

"I—I've been told to s—speak with Aigis-senpai," he murmured.

Junpei half-grinned. " 'Bout time, man. She's been—"

"Going crazy, I heard. _Gomen nasai_."

"Not _me_ you should apologize to." Then he moved out of the way as Aigis pushed by and pulled the younger teen away.

She dragged him into an empty hallway and immediately pushed him against the wall. "You broke your promise," she growled.

"You broke yours."

She froze. "_Nani?_"

"You said you'd hunt me down if I didn't call. You never did."

"They would not let me."

He sank to the floor. "I… missed you, Aigis-san."

"…I have been worried. I heard about the murders in Inaba, and you were not calling."

"_Go—Gomen nasai_. I didn't mean to worry you, Aigis-san. I—I've been busy."

"…I smell blood on you. Lift your sleeves."

The teen leaned back, trying to find a way out. "I don't see any reason why—!"

She pushed his sleeves up, neither noticing the person spying on them.

"Some of these are fresh!" Aigis exclaimed.

He twisted his head away. "They aren't _nearly_ as deep as I used to do."

"Why? You were doing so well before you left! Why would you regress back to this? H—Have you been using the—?"

"_Iie!_ I would _never_ use your gifts that way!"

"Then what?"

He bit his lip, studying the floor. "…Scissors, razors, a knife one time…."

"Yama-kun…. Is this why you did not call me? You knew I would find out?"

"Partially. I've been… helping with the murder case."

"_Nani?_"

"I'm rooming with a detective who's working on the case."

"I see. Still, I fully expect to have a _long_ talk with you."

"As do I," a shaking Naoto declared as she came into view.

5|0|_!7 |03|250|\|4|_!7!35

"I guess now I know why you keep those kunai and that gun around," a rather betrayed Naoto stated.

Her friend watched as she paced, trying to calm them both. "_Iie—_"

"You cut. You—You're suicidal! Do you even _comprehend_ how idiotic I feel for not realizing this sooner? I'm _supposed_ to be a _detective_, and I couldn't even tell my best friend and roommate was suicidal!"

"But I—"

She spun on him, snarling now. "What? You were _careful_ around me? So I wouldn't find out? When did this even start? Was it only just after Minato-kun died? Or was it when you knew he was about to? Did he even _know?_"

That did it. "Of _course_ he knew!" the teen yelled back. "He's the reason I stopped trying to _kill_ myself when I cut!"

Naoto blinked at him, sinking into a chair as her legs gave out. "_N—Nani?_"

"I—It's not a means of death to me. At least, not anymore. It's just a bad habit. More addictive than drugs and harder to quit." He sighed. "Mina-kun was trying to help me quit."

"W—When _did_ it start?"

"I can't even remember. It just sort of… happened."

She knew what that tone meant. She nodded. "I understand. Would you like to hear my plan?"

A curious glance met her. "You have an idea about how to lure out the _real_ killer?"

She smirked. "Of course."

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Souji and co. ended up dragging Naoto to a club in Port Island's Paulownia Mall, which, of course meant that Naoto dragged along her friend.

He was still mad about her plan, but she knew he wouldn't bring it up among Souji and his friends. He went without a struggle until he saw the club they were headed for.

He froze. "_Iie_. _I—Iie_, I—I can't—"

Naoto waved the others on. Then she turned to her friend. "Yama-kun? What's going on?" She tilted her head. "You didn't even react this badly to being at Gekkoukan High."

"I—I'm very—_very—_sensitive t—to alcohol."

She blinked, then frowned, hands on her hips. "What was my cousin _doing_, letting you drink when you—when you _both_ were still minors?"

"He didn't—!"

"I'm not going to allow you—_any_ of us to drink, alright? You have nothing to worry about."

"But it's not—!"

"Come, the others are waiting."

And she dragged him inside.

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Her friend was _purring_. Almost immediately upon entering, he became sluggish, tired, and disoriented. He was now snuggled up next to her, mumbling to himself. It seemed he thought she was Minato.

Souji and his friends were chuckling. "Is… he alright?" Souji asked.

Naoto sighed. "I think I understand why he was so hesitant to come in…. It seems he really _is_ sensitive to alcohol."

Yosuke blinked, shocked. "He was slipped something?"

"_Iie_. It appears that he is able to get drunk from the mere _smell_ of alcohol. Not common, but not unheard of."

"Mmm… Mina-kuuun, I wan' go home," the "drunk" teen murmured.

She blushed. "Ya—Yama-kun, I'm _Naoto_, not Minato-kun!"

He pouted and curled tighter. "Liar. Blue hair, Mina-kun." He yawned, stretched, and made that purring sound again. "_Ao_-kun."

"Who's Minato-san?" Yukiko asked, giggling slightly.

"A… friend of his. Yama-kun, M—Minato-kun isn't here."

"Always… chasin' after a girl or guy…. Nev'r time f'me…."

Naoto blushed, having forgotten how close the two were and her cousin's dating habits.

"What's he mean by that?" Kanji asked gruffly. Not that he ever spoke and _wasn't_ gruff.

"Ah, Minato-kun was a bisexual polygamist." Naoto got lots of blank stares and sighed. "He dated many people, both boys and girls, at the same time."

Souji's eyes went wide, Yosuke looked like he was about to pass out, Kanji had turned bright red, Teddie seemed confused still, and the three girls were blinking. Finally, Rise grinned. "Sounds like an interesting guy! Can we meet him?"

"Um, he's—he's dead."

The group went silent, except for the teen's mutterings. "Mina-kuuun, I wan' go h'm!"

Naoto gave up correcting him. "We'll go home later, Yama-kun."

"Mm… won't even use your n'kname f'me…."

She blushed. "There are others here, Yama-kun."

"N'ver this cold 'round Yukari-s'npai…."

She sighed. "I never should've brought him…."

"What nickname?" Teddie asked.

Naoto blinked. "Um, Dai-chan."

The purring teen beside her snuggled closer, throwing her arms around her. She blushed. " 'Boutime, Mina-kun…."

While the teen snuggled with Naoto, Souji's friends decided to play a game. Teddie, Rise, and Yukiko were slowly but surely getting drunk on the atmosphere, and Naoto was left worrying over how to sober not one but _four_ drunk teens. Meanwhile, the others drew chopsticks.

Naoto ignored them until Teddie slipped a chopstick each to her and the teen dozing off at her side. She immediately protested.

"Nonsense! Naoto-kun and Yama-kun are going to play, too!" the exuberant, obnoxious blond that was Teddie declared. So Naoto sat back and pleaded for any God listening to let it _not be her_ that was called this round.

The teen beside her yawned, lost his balance, and fell into her lap. She froze, tensing and blushing, but he simply curled up and dozed off again.

"Ooh! Ooh! Teddie is the King! Teddie is the King!" Naoto could've sworn the boy was five with how hyper he was. "King Teddie demands that Number Six kiss the King!" He grinned happily. "So? Which girl is Number Six?" He glanced around at Chie, Yukiko, and Rise. The all shook their heads. "_Whaaat?_ Then who—?"

Everyone but the sleeping teen took a quick glance at their numbered chopsticks. Naoto breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the number eight on her own. Then, she glanced down at the chopstick in her friend's hand, chuckling. "Teddie-san," she called, smirking.

The pouting boy turned to her. "_Nani?_"

"Yama-kun is Number Six."

Teddie fell onto his butt in front of the two. "_N—Nani?_ _Iie!_ I—I'm not kissing _him!_"

"But you _haff_ to!" Rise slurred, grinning widely. "Iz the rulez!"

The teen on Naoto's lap glanced blearily at Teddie through one eye. "_Ja. Ich küsse ihn nicht._" Then, his eye snapped back closed. "_Nur _Mina-kun…."

Naoto blinked in shock, the others staring blankly.

"Was that—?" Souji began.

"German…. I—I didn't know he even _knew_ another language!"

The teen in her lap rolled over to look up at her sleepily. "_Ja, du wisst! Ich habe mit dir gesprochen, _Mina-kun."

Naoto sighed, then, hoping to break him out of calling her that by giving him a shock, said, "_Nein, du hast mit mir nicht gesprochen. Ich bin nicht _Minato-kun."

He just stared blankly at her. "_Ja, du bist._" Then he rolled again so his face was pressed into her stomach. "_Und ich bin dein_ Dai-chan."

She huffed as he fell back asleep, unable to be truly mad at the drunk boy.

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Once they got back to their hotel room, Naoto huffed, crossing her arms. "Never again. We are never doing that _again_."

Then she blinked, surprised, as two arms encircled her waist. "_Danke_, Mina-kun, _für mich mitbringen._" His head burrowed into her back. "_Es macht Spass._"

She lowered her head slightly as her signature half-grin fell onto her face. "I'm glad you had fun, Dai-chan."

_Thou art I…and I am Thou. Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Fortune Arcana…._

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A/N: Okay, any problems with the German are entirely my fault. All of it was dug out from what I remember of the four courses I took in high school. Also, please point out any spelling/grammar errors or anything that was confusing. I was typing this up while recovering from a concussion, so… yeah, I'm not entirely sure I made that make sense….

Sorry I forgot to put the translations before now, but here they are.

"_Ja. Ich küsse ihn nicht._" = Yes. I will not kiss him.

"_Nur _Mina-kun…." = Only Mina-kun.

"_Ja, du wisst! Ich habe mit dir gesprochen, _Mina-kun." = Yes, you knew! I spoke with you, Mina-kun.

"_Nein, du hast mit mir nicht gesprochen. Ich bin nicht _Minato-kun." = No, you did not speak with me. I am not Minato-kun.

"_Ja, du bist._" = Yes, you are.

"_Und ich bin dein_ Dai-chan." = And I am your Dai-chan.

"_Danke_, Mina-kun, _für mich mitbringen._" = Thank you, Mina-kun, for taking me with you.

"_Es macht Spass._" = It was fun.

Read and review, y'all!


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